Faculty Profiles

909-558-7786; x. 87786 on campus
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Born and raised in Mexico, Dr. Saul Barcelo migrated to the United States to continue his education. This early experiences of being uprooted from familiar spaces allowed him to understand what it means to be “in between spaces” and at the same time helped him develop a border thinking that is reflected in his current work as a Pastor, Chaplain, Professor and Scholar.

After graduating from La Sierra University, Dr. Barcelo served as an associate pastor in the Southeastern California Conference. Following eight years of ministry working with young adults, Saul transitioned into health care ministries as a hospice chaplain. In 2011 he was invited to join the Chaplain Service staff of Loma Linda University Health where he cared predominantly for patients, families and staff at the LLU Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Barcelo joined the faculty of School of Religion in 2021 as the Director of the Center for Whole Person Care and an assistant professor. His research interests include topics of spirituality in healthcare, healthcare chaplaincy, ethics, the intersection of race and religion in society, theologies of liberation and Latinx identity and spirituality.

His education includes a Master’s degree in Clinical Ministries from Loma Linda University, as well as a Master’s degree and a PhD in Religion, Ethics and Politics from Claremont School of Theology.

Dr. Barcelo is married to Susie, and they have two sons and a daughter. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with the family and sampling new restaurants.

909-558-7478; x. 44026 on campus
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Dr. Braun de Lobatón received her BA degree in History and Political Science from La Sierra University, two MA degrees from LLU (MA in Biomedical and Clinical Ethics and MPH in Global Health) and a PhD in Theology, Ethics & Culture from Claremont Graduate University.

909-558-7478; x. 83452 on campus
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A dual citizen of the United States and Norway, Dr. Erik C. Carter received degrees in theology and religion from Southern Adventist University and Andrews University, as well as a DMin from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His PhD is from Claremont School of Theology.

Carter is an ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and served as a pastor in various districts throughout the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference. In addition to pastoral ministry, he also has significant experience in pastoral care and counseling, and holds a clinical membership in the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). By serving in these ways, he has worked with churches, hospitals, agencies, families, couples, and individuals in seeking healing and wholeness.

In 2014, Carter was invited to join the faculty at the School of Religion, teaching in the area of practical theology. Carter has a deep concern for the faithfulness of the church, and speaks regularly around the country and abroad on matters of theological and spiritual renewal. His publications can be found in various professional and church-related journals.

Carter is married to Harmony Carter, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Together, they have two children. His personal interests include spending time with family, ultralight backpacking, bodysurfing, traveling, and the creative arts.

909-558-7478; x. 82338 on campus
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Dr. De-Whyte has studied and graduated from Newbold College (Bachelor of Divinity), Andrews University (MA Old Testament) and McMaster Divinity College (PhD Old Testament).

909-558-7478; x. 15952 on campus
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Dr. Gang earned his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University, an MDiv from the SDA Theology Seminary, and a DMin in practical theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.

909-558-7478; x. 42092 on campus
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Dr. Garner received her Ph.D. in Religion from Boston University. She also holds an M.A. degree in philosophy of religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Her undergraduate degree in theology was received from Universidade Adventista de São Paulo, in Brazil.

909-558-7478; x. 42942 on campus
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Dr. Isaac received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from UCLA. His research interests include social determinates of health, healthcare disparities, and hospice/palliative care.

909-558-7478; x. 88433 on campus
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Dr. Paulien received his bachelor’s degree in theology from Atlantic Union College, which included a year abroad studying in West Germany. His MDiv degree (1975) and his PhD in New Testament (1987) were both earned from Andrews University.

Early in his career, Dr. Paulien was a church pastor in New York and Michigan before attending graduate school. After teaching at the SDA Seminary at Andrews University for many years, he came to LLU in 2007 as Dean of the newly-formed School of Religion.

He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Adventist Society for Religious Study, and the Chicago Society for Biblical Research. He has also served on numerous committees and study projects within the Adventist Church and professional organizations. Dr. Paulien is listed in Who’s Who in Religion, Who's Who in Biblical Studies and Archaeology, Who's Who in America, Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and the Directory of American Scholars.

Dr. Paulien is a well-respected biblical scholar and a prolific writer. He has written dozens of book reviews, and has been published on topics relating to the history of the Adventist Church and the book of Revelation. He is a specialist in the Johannine literature in the new Testament (Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation), and the intersection of faith with contemporary culture. Many of his books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, Japanese, and the Korean languages. He also takes special delight in seminars and presentations to non-specialists who can make practical use of the material in the real world.

Dr. Paulien has traveled to the seven last cities mentioned in the book of Revelation and filmed a series of DVDs on location for the Hope Channel; written chapters on Daniel and Revelation and the apostle Paul for high school religion textbooks for the Adventist church; and conducted many television and radio interviews over the years. He is also a consulting editor of the Andrews University Seminary Studies.

Outside of academia, Dr. Paulien enjoys being with his wife Pamella and their three children, and also enjoys travel, golf and photography when time permits.

909-558-7478; x. 15097 on campus
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A native of Croatia, Dr. Plantak received his BA in Theology from Newbold College in England. He then earned an MA in Theology from Andrews University, and a postgraduate certificate in Pastoral Counseling and Church Growth before receiving a PhD. in Theology and Christian Ethics from King’s College, University of London.

Early in his career, Dr. Plantak pastored in England, and has been a youth ministries leader and speaker/presenter at numerous Conferences and Lectureships. For sixteen years he was at Washington Adventist University in Maryland, where he held various positions, among them directing a master’s program and chairing the religion department. In addition to his regular teaching duties, Dr. Plantak also developed several online courses (for both undergraduate and graduate levels) in the area of ethical leadership, public service ethics, and ethics in the modern world. He has also led a number of educational tours of the Holy Land and Europe.

Until recently he chaired the Board of the Center for Metropolitan Ministry (Washington, DC), is a past president and current Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Adventist Society of Religious Studies. He was for years a member of the Board of Ministerial and Theological Education for the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (BMTE) and the World Church (IBMTE). Other professional affiliations include the Academy for Professionalism in Health Care, the Adventist Peace Fellowship (APF), the American Academy of Religion (AAR), the American Philosophical Association (PA), the American Society for Bioethical and Humanities, Society for Biblical Literature (SBL), Society of Adventist Philosophers (SAP), and the Society of Christian Ethicists (SCE).

Due to his expertise in the area of Christian ethics, Dr. Plantak served on the Internal Review Board of Washington Adventist Hospital and the Institutional Biohazards Committee for research on human subjects of both Washington Adventist Hospital, Shady Grove Hospital, and Montgomery County hospitals (Maryland). Publications include articles in professional journals and religious magazines, numerous chapters in books, as well as a book on human rights and social justice. Dr. Plantak has been on numerous accreditation visits both for WSCUC and AAA accrediting organizations and has directed and chaired the 2021-22 AAA accreditation process as well as served as the editor for the LLU AAA Self-study in 2021.

Outside of academia, Dr. Plantak enjoys a wide variety of interests, including travel, food from many cultures, and quality time with his family

909-558-7478; x. 88103 on campus
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Born and raised in Loma Linda, Mike Rhynus felt called to ministry at an early age. A year of missionary service during college further confirmed that calling but it wasn’t until a few months before graduating from college that God revealed his path into ministry. Accepted into what was called at that time, the CPE/MDiv program through Adventist Health Systems and Florida Hospital, Mike began his career in healthcare chaplaincy in 2006.

His journey allowed him to work as a chaplain while taking CPE for one year in Florida before sending him to seminary where he finished his degree in 2009. His first call out of seminary was to a unique hospital/church setting in Celebration, FL where he served as chaplain and pastor for four years before accepting an invitation to join the pastoral care team as a chaplain at Loma Linda University Health in 2014. Chaplain Rhynus served the LLUH Children’s Hospital and Surgical Hospital for five years before accepting a call into pastoral ministry at Crosswalk Church in Redlands, CA in 2019. Pastor Mike led the discipleship and service ministries at Crosswalk for over four years before accepting an invitation to join the faculty of the School of Religion.

Mike Rhynus joined the School of Religion in the fall of 2023 as the director of the chaplaincy program and an instructor in the relational studies area. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in Religion from Walla Walla University, a Masters of Divinity from Andrews University Theological Seminary, and four units of CPE through Florida Hospital.

Mike is married to Dana and they have two sons, Oliver and Maverick. He enjoys many active pursuits in his free time and is always up for a great adventure!

909-558-4570; x. 44570 on campus
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“Pastor Randy” was born in South America of missionary parents, and spent the majority of his life before college in Latin American countries.

Randy received his undergraduate degree from Southwestern Adventist University, and his MDiv from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He also has an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from the US International University in San Diego, California (and is a licensed marriage and family therapist), as well as a DMin from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

His career includes pastoring in Texas for more than five years before moving to Loma Linda. In 1987 he began work as a chaplain at Loma Linda University Medical Center. During the next several years he was also instrumental in establishing and leading the Medical Center’s grief recovery program.

Randy has been on the faculty at the LLU School of Religion since 1994. In addition to teaching, he has pastored the Corona Seventh-day Adventist Church, and became senior pastor of the LLU Church in 2000. Since 2016, Randy has also served as Vice President for Spiritual Life and Mission for Loma Linda University Health.

Dr. Roberts has spoken to many and varied audiences both nationally and internationally; has written articles for various publications; and has authored one book for Pacific Press, entitled, The End is Near (Again).

He is married to Anita, and they have a son and a daughter. His hobbies include playing sports, cheering for the Dallas Cowboys (!), and reading.

909-558-7478 x. 44566 on campus
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Dr. Rosario received his MA in Religion at Yale University with a concentration in the history of Christianity. He completed his PhD in History at the University of Cambridge where his research focused on religion’s complex role in shaping and influencing the trajectory of society and politics.

His writing has been published in academic journals like Diplomatic History (Oxford University Press) and the Oxford Handbook of Seventh-day Adventism, as well as the Washington Post. He has presented his research at the American Society of Church History (ASCH), American Academy of Religion (AAR), Historians of the Twentieth-Century United States (HOTCUS), and the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians (ASDAH).

He has taught seminars on religion for over fifteen years at college campuses, conferences, and churches. His ministry experience includes serving as pastor, evangelist, discipleship trainer, and instructor for Light Bearers ministry. Jeffrey is married to Marianna, who is completing a Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a specialization in anesthesia.

909-558-7478; x. 46268 on campus
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Dr. Thomsen has been teaching for the LLU School of Religion since 2011, with expertise in the integration of behavior sciences, neurobiology, bioethics, and theology for students aspiring to become healthcare professionals.

Dr. Thomsen’s educational background includes a BA in Theology (La Sierra University), an MDiv from the Theological Seminary at Andrews University, a DMin degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Marital and Family therapy with a major in social/behavioral neuroscience from Loma Linda University.

In addition to his teaching role at Loma Linda University, he helps direct photographic sightseeing tours for the LLU Global Health Institute for international medical professionals receiving advanced training at our medical center. He also serves as a senior adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University in the Graduate School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences.

He has 34 years of experience in pastoral ministry and has served congregations in various regions of Southern California. He has also been a research associate for the LLU Center for Spiritual Life and Wholeness; served on committees and boards of non-profit and church-related organizations, including Adventist Health Systems West; and presented and published extensively on topics such as relationships, practical applications of social neuroscience, mental health, and organizational systems. He is known for bringing cutting-edge research into his classes, generating great dialogue and discussion.

Dr. Thomsen is married and the father of two adult children. His hobbies include photography, a variety of wilderness sports, and music (primarily singing in the Loma Linda University Church Sanctuary Choir).

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Sigve Tonstad was born and raised in Norway. He completed a B.A. in Theology at Middle East College in Lebanon and Andrews University (1974), his MD from Loma Linda University (1979), an MA in Biblical Studies at LLU (1990), and a PhD in New Testament Studies at the University of St. Andrews (2005). He also spent a semester at Duke University studying with E. P. Sanders and Richard B. Hays.

He has written books and many articles in Norwegian. His English-language books are The Scandals of the Bible (2000; Saving God’s Reputation; The Theological Function of Pistis Iesou in the Cosmic Narratives of Revelation (T. & T. Clark, 2006); and The Lost Meaning of the Seventh Day (Andrews University Press, 2009). Most recently Dr. Tonstad has completed a manuscript entitled God of Sense and Traditions of Non-Sense: Reading the Bible in the 21st Century (not yet published).

His teaching and research interests are the problem of suffering (theodicy), Johannine Literature, Paul as an apostle of hope (Romans and Galatians), ecological hermeneutics, and biblical ethics. He is married to Serena Hasso Tonstad, a physician and preventive medicine expert. They have two grown daughters. In his spare time, Sigve enjoys running, rollerblading, and cross country skiing.

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For over five decades, Gerald Winslow has taught and written about ethics, especially biomedical ethics. During this time, he has served as an academic administrator and health care executive. He is the Founding Director of the Institute for Health Policy and Leadership. Most recently, he was the Director of the Center for Christian Bioethics and currently serves on LLU’s Institutional Review Board. As Research Professor, Dr. Winslow will focus on scholarly research and publications regarding Adventist bioethics and the ongoing development of the Adventist Bioethics Consortium.

He received his undergraduate education at Walla Walla University and his M.A. degree at Andrews University. He earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He has been a visiting scholar at Cambridge University, University of Virginia, and the University of Tübingen. He has published two books and over one hundred journal articles and book chapters. He has lectured on biomedical ethics throughout North America, Australia, Europe, Russia, Africa, and Asia. He also served as a consultant in biomedical ethics for major health care systems and for research conducted by pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. David Larson received his bachelor’s degree from Pacific Union College and went on to complete a Doctor of Ministry (1973) as well as a PhD (1983) at the Claremont School of Theology.  In 1974, Dr. Larson joined the LLU Faculty of Religion and continually taught ethics courses to students across all eight schools on campus.  His areas of expertise include medical ethics, sexual ethics, philosophical ethics, and theological ethics.  In 1983, Dr. Larson was especially gratified to be part of the team that established the Center for Christian Bioethics on the LLU campus.  He was also instrumental in gaining approval to begin offering the MA in Bioethics degree at LLU in the early 1990’s.  He has served as Director of the Center for Christian Bioethics. He holds memberships in the Adventist Society for Religious Studies, the American Academy of Religion, the American Society for Bioethics and the Humanities, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Society of Christian Ethics.  Dr. Larson edited and published a book on Jack W. Provonsha entitled, Making the Whole Person Whole: Papers and Presentations on Religion, Ethics, and Medicine. Dr. Larson is married to Bronwyn Larson. He retired from LLU in 2020.

Dr. Richard Rice earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Andrews University Theological Seminary.  He received both his master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago Divinity School.  He first joined Loma Linda University to teach religion courses in 1974; then, after spending almost 15 years teaching religion at the undergraduate level at La Sierra University, Dr. Rice re-joined the LLU faculty in 1998.  One of his popular courses, God and Human Suffering, has influenced the lives of countless LLU graduates.  He has written extensively about his work as a teacher.  These books include Reign of God: An Introduction to Christian Theology from a Seventh-day Adventist Perspective; Believing, Behaving, Belonging: Finding New Love for the Church; Ministryhealing: Toward a Theology of Wholeness and Witness; and Suffering and the Search for Meaning: Contemporary Responses to the Problem of Pain.  His book, The Future of Open Theism: From Antecedents to Opportunities, was published by IVP Academic.  His article, “Therapy, Theology, and Ethics: Contemporary Reflections on the Sabbath,” was recently published in The Sabbath in the New Testament and in Theology: Implications for Christians in the Twenty-First Century; ed. Ekkehardt Mueller & Eike Mueller (Biblical Research Institute [Silver Spring MD, 2023]).  Dr. Rice and his wife Gail have a daughter and a son and five grandchildren. H retired from LLU in 2020.

Dr. James Walters completed a dual major of religion and communications at Southern Adventist University in 1968, a Master of Divinity from Andrews University Theological Seminary in 1970, and a PhD from Claremont Graduate University in 1979.  He began his teaching career at LLU in 1980.  Among his many books are What’s with Free Will? Ethics and Religion after Neuroscience, edited with Philip Clayton; What is a Person? An Ethical Exploration; Choosing Who’s To Live: Ethics and Aging, editor; Facing Limits: Ethics and Health Care for the Elderly, edited with Gerald R. Winslow; War No More? Options in Nuclear Ethics, editor; Bioethics Today: A New Ethical Vision, editor; and Living is Loving: Relationships Matter Most.  Two other major projects are his joining David Larson and Jack Provonsha in founding the Center for Christian Bioethics (1983), and co-founding the publication Adventist Today in 1992.  For many years, he has served as director of the Humanities Program. Dr. Walters and his wife Priscilla have two daughters and five grandchildren. He retired from LLU in 2020.